DId BLT use reconditioned furn ??

[ML_LovesDisney]

This makes me sad! We just joined DVC and DH will NOT be pleased if we stay there and it already looks trashed We won't be going home until 2012 since we wanted to stay at BCV in August for the pool. Hope Disney figures something out!

 

[mlayton14]

This is very surprising. DVC is obviously not new to timeshare business .. spending 10's of millions of dollars on this property alone.

How could they make such a bad mistake in selecting non-durable furniture? Its inconceivable to me ...

 

[disneynutz]

This is very surprising. DVC is obviously not new to timeshare business .. spending 10's of millions of dollars on this property alone.

How could they make such a bad mistake in selecting non-durable furniture? Its inconceivable to me ...

Disney pays to construct the resort and then they sell memberships at a huge mark up. Keeping the construction cost low is in their favor.

Once built, maintenance is a membership issue. Disney is just following their profit model.

Bill

 

[cush1]

Sounds like dues might be going up for BLT owners so they can replace furniture more often. What do you think?

 

[OntFamily]

We stayed at BLT in March (studio). It seemed the furniture was IKEA quality -- looked nice, but not durable enough for a major hotel/timeshare.

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

We stayed at BLT in March (studio). It seemed the furniture was IKEA quality -- looked nice, but not durable enough for a major hotel/timeshare.

I agree... I thought the same thing when we toured. But, since my home is furnished in hefty antiques, I thought maybe it was just a difference in my taste versus the decorating style used in the resort. The furnishings were definitely not to my taste and weren't a draw for me... but cleanliness and being in good repair are something that I expect no matter whether I like the decorating style or not. We chose to purchase at BLT because we anticipated maintenance fees would be lower, but if we're continually replacing furniture, they will rise quickly. =(

 

[Inkmahm]

I think it's more the style of furniture than the quality. Most people that live with that kind of furniture are adults and more minimalist.

The furniture at BLT is high maintenance. I was in a studio last Oct and it is small. You are constantly wearing on the surfaces. Like the bed is so close to the wall that you see wear marks on the wall along the bed. It's hard not to rub against the wall when getting in or out of bed.

Another issue I had was the white chairs at the table. I sat down and the button on my jean pocket scratched the seat. Not gouged, but left a mar.
You could see where luggage had bumped against the corners of the wall and along the corridor.

The sofa is a light wheat color and the arms were darker than the rest of it due to soiling.

It just seems the rooms were not designed for heavy use or even moderate use. It's beauty over function.

We are in a studio at BLT right now. Everything you said is exactly right. The sofa is not only soiled and stained but the seam is giving way on one of the cushions so the edge is already ripped. It looks to be about 20 years old to me.

And the bed IS so close to the wall is is impossible not to touch the wall when getting in and out.

Besides the really wacky set up with the bathroom sink being in the same little room as the kitchenette, I also hate not having a soap dish in the bathtub area. We took the soapdish from the bathroom sink to use in the bathtub for our showers. This is the only place I have ever stayed that has no soap dish built in in the bathtub/shower!

The white seats are looking a lttle worn and the edge of the black dresser is all scraped up. We're in 7806.

 

[DVC Owner in MA]

Wow, it's very disappointing to hear that the rooms are in this condition. We only saw a model room, so of course, it looked terrific and new. Do you feel that your points were well-spent on the Grand Villa in this run-down condition? Or would several smaller rooms have been a better choice? I'm asking because we planned to book a GV for the family for our anniversary, thinking that they would be in true luxury condition. If that isn't the case, I wonder if they are really worth the extra points. Also, could you tell me the room # of your GV? It sounds like your view was perfect!

Thanks for any info,
Evey =)

Evey... condition of the GV did not affect our enjoyment; they were just minor things we noticed. The GVs at BLT are just amazing with the two-story high window in the living room. Plenty of room for the 10 of us, places for people to have their privacy, etc. We would definitely stay in one again. We were in room #8536.

 

[bblanch]

Was in room 7602 a 2BR Lake View last week. Sofa was soiled and cushions were ripped, restitched with different color thread in some spots, and ripped again. AC went out 3 times too.

Overall the room was nice though and the view was amazing. Just surprised that the furnishings were so busted up looking already.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Not too long ago I was one of the biggest Disney apologists in existence..
About a year ago I started noticing (admitting to myself) all the little things that Disney has cut back on- Housekeeping and maintenance being at the top of the list. There is no reason scratches in dark furniture can't be touched up on a weekly basis.

It's still good, but it's not the Disney it once was.

MG

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

Evey... condition of the GV did not affect our enjoyment; they were just minor things we noticed. The GVs at BLT are just amazing with the two-story high window in the living room. Plenty of room for the 10 of us, places for people to have their privacy, etc. We would definitely stay in one again. We were in room #8536.

Thanks for the info. That makes me feel much better!

 

[miprender]

We were just there two weeks ago (only for one night) and I noticed the sofa cushion had a huge tear with stuffing coming out.

It just looks like wear and tear, however since this resort is less than a year old I was a little suprised. Otherwise that was the only thing I noticed.

 

[dbs1228]

you all are freaking me out! I have bought 300 points at BLT and have 2 ressies, both 2 bdrm, one in Dec with friends and Feb with kids! I did not pay premium $$$ for a resort that is falling apart at the "seams"! I guess I will have to wait and see but will not hesitate to file a complaint if the accomadations are not up to expectations!

 

[nhmomx2]

This is truly disappointing news. We have been members since '99 (BWV) and have never been disappointed in any of our accommodations. Just this week we booked a weekend stay (studio lake view) at BLT over the VWL. We also convinced my BIL & SIL to switch from the Poly to be with us

Is BLT sold out? This could be a problem for sales/resales. It would be in Disney's best interest to correct the problems soon.

 

[disneynutz]

This is truly disappointing news. We have been members since '99 (BWV) and have never been disappointed in any of our accommodations. Just this week we booked a weekend stay (studio lake view) at BLT over the VWL. We also convinced my BIL & SIL to switch from the Poly to be with us

Is BLT sold out? This could be a problem for sales/resales. It would be in Disney's best interest to correct the problems soon.

DVD hasn't even declared all of the rooms at BLT. For every person who reads the Boards, there are a 1000 who will buy BLT based upon what they are told by the ASM and the Guides and they will never see the rooms until after they buy.

 

[nhmomx2]

I would hope that someone making a sizable investment like DVC would do as much research as possible. If not...shame on them. As I said, I've never had issues like these at any other property I've stayed at. Minor things, for sure, but not furniture that's falling apart after only months of use. An image that I'm sure Disney does not want to convey..even though it is a timeshare, Disney's name and reputation are firmly attached and is a main selling feature. I would think the more complaints that are filed, the faster the problems may get resolved.

 

[DVCPAT]

I would hope that someone making a sizable investment like DVC would do as much research as possible. If not...shame on them. As I said, I've never had issues like these at any other property I've stayed at. Minor things, for sure, but not furniture that's falling apart after only months of use. An image that I'm sure Disney does not want to convey..even though it is a timeshare, Disney's name and reputation are firmly attached and is a main selling feature. I would think the more complaints that are filed, the faster the problems may get resolved.

Disney quality and customer service are declining every year. What’s really surprising is BLT quality issues aren’t being addressed and the resort isn’t sold out. In the past, Disney would wait until the resort was sold out before going into cost cutting mode.

 

[CleoPahd]

We were there about 3 weeks ago in a 1 bedroom for our first trip as DVC members. We LOVE Disney, but it makes me sad to see certain things go downhill. Our room wasn't even that clean upon check-in. I found several candy wrappers and some cellophane on the floor as well as several socks.

I too have to agree with the majority of the posters, though the room was beautiful and we truly enjoyed our stay, there was so much more wear and tear than we expected for such a new resort. The heat shield on the side of the oven was falling off the wall, the couch was soiled and when we lifted up the cushions to make the sofa bed the underside of the cushions we all falling apart, the stitching was coming out in several places. The carpeting between the bedroom and the main living area was all worn out and the kitchen table had big scratches in it.

The biggest, weirdest thing we noticed there, that we have never noticed at another disney resort, was the bug problem. Several nights upon return after sundown we would find thousands, if not millions of bugs taking up the entire hallway of the north elevator (I think it was north...the side closest to CR). You could not even see an empty inch of the ceiling or wall. I realize they were harmless, but it frightened children and just looked disgusting. On the first night we went to say something and another couple was ahead of us already informing on the problem. They were told not to worry about it, it's a known problem from being near the water. They would leave the bugs there all night, then vacuum them up the next morning. It was very strange. In the mean time they'd get up into the elevators with people returning to their rooms and you'd find them in the halls on various floors of the hotel, though not in such great quantity as the main level. We stayed at WL, which is also on that same lake and I never saw anything like this there.

 

[disneynutz]

I would hope that someone making a sizable investment like DVC would do as much research as possible. If not...shame on them. As I said, I've never had issues like these at any other property I've stayed at. Minor things, for sure, but not furniture that's falling apart after only months of use. An image that I'm sure Disney does not want to convey..even though it is a timeshare, Disney's name and reputation are firmly attached and is a main selling feature. I would think the more complaints that are filed, the faster the problems may get resolved.

Sadly it's a different Disney now. Profit is the primary driving force for most decisions. The Parks and Resorts and DVC Presidents are from the finance world.

That's why the restaurant menus have been dumbed down, the Disney items for purchase are the same everywhere and made in China, The ASM's and Guides went through a pay cut, contracted Guides are being used in New York, DVC rules and policies are being changed, free Valet went away, delivery fees were added for packages at BWV. BCV, and BLT, holiday decorations have been reduced, and some of the view categories don't make any sense.

If the furniture does need to be replaced at BLT, it will be the owners who foot the bill, not Disney.

Bill

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

free Valet went away

When was free valet discontinued? We were at BWV last October and it was still free...